Fairy Lights
by ArtNScience
Summary: What if Elizabeth and her sisters weren't entirely...human? What if they were part fairy? Just a short, fluffy one-shot. The characters and plot belong to Jane Austen, with a generous smattering of inspiration credited to the Tinkerbell movies. (What? I have a 3 year old!)


Fairy Lights Part I

As the first light of day crept across the still landscape, a lone small figure slipped out of a still quiet estate house and into the dewy meadow. The only observer was a swallow, who did not mind that the young woman's dark hair was plaited simply down her back, or that she had chosen to dispose of her shoes and stockings for her trek. Polished society would be shocked at the way she skimmed the dewy grass. In fact, it hardly looked like she was walking at all. She glided into a small stand of trees, and perched on a rock overlooking a sleepy brook. She silently munched a roll, before looking very carefully around. Seeing and hearing no one but the curious swallow, who she cautioned to be quite. Her face took on a decidedly impish expression, and her amber eyes began to twinkle with shades of green and blue. She reached into the brook and began to mold the water with her hands, trilling it under her hands as if she were playing the piano. Shapes made of water began to rise up, human shapes. Men and women dressed in evening finery, glistening in the morning sun, sending rainbow colored rays onto the greenery around the brook. She began to sing a sweet song in a language no full human could understand, for indeed she wasn't fully human. The water shapes bowed and began to dance as she sang, and soon she stepped out into the water to dance with her faceless partner. Her feet skimmed the surface of the water as she twirled in her imaginary ball. Soon breathless and beaming she let the water fall once again into the brook, and walked back to land. She settled back on her rock and pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket. Her uncle's latest instructions, for her Uncle Gardiner was the only of her relations to have also inherited the power to manipulate water.

Elizabeth Bennet was on quarter fairy, on her mother's side, and inherited the water fairy gift. It was rare for a quarter fairy to have such power, in fact it was rare for a half fairy to get a gift. Her mother, though beautiful as all part fairies are, did not inherit any powers of nature. However, each of her five daughters had a nature gift that was reflective of their own personalities. Jane, the eldest, had a gift of light. Indeed with her soft beauty, gentle nature, and golden coloring, Jane seemed almost made of light. However, like catching sunlight, Jane's affections were hard to capture, though many men had tried. Elizabeth, the second eldest, was also beautiful, but compelling and enchanting in a very different way. Elizabeth was a powerful force once started down a path. If her laughter was a babbling brook, her anger was a raging flood. Mary, after Elizabeth in birth order, was the most grounded of the sisters. Fitting for one gifted with earth power. Mary did not have a very strong gift, she could not move earth; however, flower and vegetable gardens flourished under her care. Next came Katherine, whom everyone called Kitty. Kitty had air powers, which, like Mary's earth powers, were not very strong. Still she had been known to blow her sisters' bonnets off when she was particularly angry with them. Finally, the youngest was Lydia, who had fire powers. Their mother was proud indeed when a toddling Lydia had set fire to her father's newspaper. Fire powers were rare, and while Lydia's powers were not as strong as Elizabeth's, she quickly became her Mother's pride and joy. Lydia was unhappy that Elizabeth's powers developed more strongly than her own, but luckily for Lizzie her water gift could usually squelch any real mischief Lydia sent her way. Mrs. Bennet had ensured her daughters had the most basic fairy training, but it had come at the cost of some generally acknowledged accomplishments young gentlewomen should have possessed. Mr. Bennett had been taken with Mrs. Bennett's beauty, but had never quite forgiven her for not telling him about her fairy blood prior to the birth of Jane. At only four months old, he had come upon Jane delightedly giggling as she played with a ray of light from a lamp. He had spent some weeks believing he had gone mad before asking his wife if she too saw their daughter playing with a light beam. He had taken it upon himself to see that his daughters had the means to learn more about human knowledge, but only Elizabeth had the inclination.

As Lizzie finished the general portion of the letter, which consisted of a message from her beloved aunt outlining how the children were doing and the latest plays in London. Her Aunt Gardiner was also half fairy, but unlike her husband and nieces, she did not have any powers. The second page of the letter would have seemed decidedly ordinary to a casual reader. It was a note from her uncle that went on at some length about his readings on marine life. In truth, her uncle did not own a single book on the subject. It was a code, outlining Elizabeth's next training assignment. Elizabeth knew she didn't have time to decode it at that point. Her impromptu ball had cost her the necessary time. She had to get back home before the servants caught her out without her shoes on and reported her to Mrs. Bennett. She slipped her stockings and shoes back on where she had left them behind the barns, and entered the house in time to hear her mother excitedly telling her father about a new gentleman entering the neighborhood.

* * *

One morning some weeks later, Elizabeth woke to find Jane playing with a ray of morning sunshine, a sweet smile on her face. That smile had slowly blossomed in the weeks since Jane's introduction to Charles Bingley, and Elizabeth felt certain her sister would soon be giving up her fairy studies entirely in favor of embracing a fully human life, full of love and children. Lizzie didn't see the appeal really. She had never met a man that tempted her to matrimony, certainly not the other single gentleman now in the neighborhood. Mr. Darcy was a particular friend of Mr. Bingley, but the gentleman was deemed as proud as his friend was amiable. It would not have mattered to Elizabeth if Mr. Darcy was amiable since she couldn't decide if she wanted to marry. She had briefly considered asking her uncle for an introduction at a fairy ball; perhaps she could attract a mate that also had fairy blood. However, being only a quarter fairy she knew that her family was considered tainted with humanity by most of the fae.

Lizzie waved her hand at the pitcher of water near the bed, creating a soft mist by the window. Jane smiled at their favorite childhood game, and aimed a ray of light at the mist, creating a rainbow. The young women giggled like small children before dressing and joining the family for breakfast.

* * *

Twenty four hours. Only 24 hours later and Elizabeth woke with very different feelings than the previous day. Jane had been invited to Mr. Bingley's home, Netherfield, to dine with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Mrs. Bennett, in a true stroke of fairy mischief, had sent Jane on horseback rather than in the carriage. Mr. Bennett had accused Mrs. Bennett of causing the rain which forced Jane to spend the night at Netherfield.

"Don't be ridiculous," she countered, "You know I don't have water powers."

Mr. Bennett turned a quirked eyebrow and teasing smile to Elizabeth. "Lizzie, is this rain your doing?"

Lizzie laughed her merry bubbly laugh. "I only wish I had that kind of power Papa. No I'm afraid this is just the course of nature. I did warn you it was going to storm."

Lizzie's mirth turned to worry when Jane sent a note indicating that, not only was she forced to stay the night, but that she had caught a severe cold from being out in the rain.

As Lizzie lay in bed the next morning, watching the water continue to pour down the panes, she determined to go to Jane. Her gentle sister would not admit if she was truly sick, and Lizzie had a none too high opinion of how diligent Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst would be in caring for Jane. With this resolution made, she dressed quickly and walked downstairs to inform her parents.

Lizzie's walk to Netherfield was pleasant for her. Being a water fairy, she loved the rain and the puddles. She had discovered at a young age that, when the world was soaked after a large rain, she could simply slide along the surface of the ground much as one would skate on ice in the winter. It did result in Lizzie being rather mud splattered and windblown on her arrival, but her face was bright from the joy of using her magic and the green and blue flecks remained in her eyes. While the disapproving glances of Miss Bingley, the Hursts and Mr. Darcy were not lost on her, she simply did not care. She was here for Jane, and would behave as a proper lady only for her dear sister's sake.

As soon as the maid that showed Lizzie to Jane's room left, Lizzie threw open the curtains and let what little sunlight was available on the rainy day into the room. Jane sighed with pleasure as she awoke to the light on her face.

"Lizzie! When did you arrive?" Jane blinked a few times to awake more fully

"I just got here. How are you Jane dear?" Lizzie sat on the bed taking Jane's hand. Lizzie quickly lifted a cool, refreshing mist of water from the basin by the bed to wet her sister's feverish forehead.

"I am better now that you are here. Everyone has been so kind to me." A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and Jane reached out to cup it in her hand, bringing it to her face. Fairies gained strength from close association with their nature element, and Jane's cheeks pinked up from the contact. "Ah that is better. I would not be so weak if I had more natural light. It would not do to have asked to be allowed outside without a bonnet or wrap, as I am wont to do at home when feeling ill."

"Not to worry, your Lizzie is here to help! I have brought some of mother's tea, and tonight is a full moon in a clear sky. The rain shall clear up by evening, I can tell. I shall sneak you out for some moonlight and starlight. You will be right again in no time." Lizzie responded after a quick peek at the door to make sure no one overheard.

"That would be wonderful." Jane smiled, but just as quickly her smile was replaced with a rather worried expression. "Do you think it would not be a terrible risk? At home we can do such things. The servants are aware we are…different…..and say nothing. What if we were caught?"

"Not to worry. I have just learned how to create fog from uncle. I shall mask us nicely!" In truth, Lizzie was a little worried about pulling off such a powerful bit of magic. She had only tried small patches of very thin fog at her feet, but for her favorite sister, Lizzie would push her power level to its limit.

* * *

In the end, Lizzie decided sunrise would be a much easier time to build the necessary foggy screen. So during the dawn hours, Lizzie and Jane slipped out of the still slumbering house into the garden. After looking and listening for a full ten minutes, Lizzie walked to the middle of the garden and closed her eyes. As she slowly raised her arms, a cloud of fog began to materialize in the garden creeping across the grounds, and enshrouding the house. Lizzie felt exhausted, but she felt sure no one looking from Netherefield's windows would be able to see into the garden.

Jane turned as the sun began to rise, and opened her arms as if to embrace a good friend. The morning sun fairly wrapped itself around Jane, warming her complexion. Lizzie gasped slightly, somewhat in awe of how beautiful her sister looked glowing in the early morning rays. As Jane basked, Lizzie found a bench to sit on nearby where she could keep watch for any stray servants. A small puddle left from the previous days' rain provided amble entertainment as Lizzie caused little droplets to leap like fish and drop back in the puddle.

"Thank you," Jane said as she walked to where Lizzie sat. "Let's go eat some breakfast, shall we?"

"Jane, I'm afraid you should return to your room rather than risk coming down to breakfast." Lizzie said thoughtfully. "It would seem as if you made the whole sickness up should you recover so quickly. Besides, this will give you a greater opportunity to observe Mr. Bingley." Jane's blush was all the answer Lizzie needed, and the two sisters walked arm in arm to the house.

* * *

Later that afternoon Lizzie walked down the slope from the Netherfield gardens toward a small stream. Just as Jane gathered strength from the sun, so Lizzie could recover her energy and strength through contact with water. She found the most densely covered area of the stream, far from any path or road. Again looking carefully around for any sign of humans, Lizzie sighed with content, stripped off her stockings and shoes, and started to step down the muddy bank…then stopped. Miss Bingley would surely make some snide comment if she muddied her dress. Taking an even more careful look around, seeing no one, Lizzie quickly slipped off her dress hanging it carefully from a branch. Free from the constraints of proper human behavior (and attire) Lizzie slipped down the bank in only her chemise, stepping right out onto the water. She willed the water up over her body forming the most fantastic gown her imagination could conjure. Then spent hours gliding along the surface and sending sprays of water arching out of the stream in time with the song she sang, completely losing track of time. So engrossed was she that she did not see the man approach, nor did she hear his soft gasp. It was not until some minutes later, her performance complete, when she turned to retrieve her dress and return to the house, that she saw him standing there staring at her. Lizzie let out a small scream and promptly lifted a wall of water out of the stream to slam into Mr. Darcy, drenching him and throwing him into the shrubbery. She grabbed her clothing and fled, hoping against hope that he would think he imagined the whole incident.


End file.
